A Love That Defys the Odds
by Melissa Brooks
Summary: A-Z Drabble series about Peeta and Katniss's love
1. Chapter 1

A Love That Defy's the Odds

A: Anger

He watched as she ran towards the stage volunteering to be the girl tribute in the capital's sadistic games. He felt angrier then he had ever felt in his life. Angry at the capital...angry that she had to be this Year's sacrificial lamb. He wanted to be angry with her for volunteering at the reaping but he couldn't.

He understood her reasons...wanting to sacrifice herself to protect her little sister who she obviously loved more than life itsef. He would volunteer himself in her place if he could, but he couldn't take her place. The most that he could hope for is that his name would be called as well. If he was in the games then he could use his anger against the other tributes and make sure that she was the last one standing.

He walked towards the stage when he heard them call his name. His mother's cries broke his heart and he knew that his family would be devastated to watch him die, but it had to be this way because he couldn't watch her die.

XOXOXO

B: Bread

She stared at him as he climbed up on the stage and stood next to her and all she could think about was bread.

_She was a starving six year old who was reduced to looking through her neighbors trash in the rain to see if she could find food. She couldn't sit by and watch her sister continue to grow hungry while her mother checked out on reality._

He came out and was carrying a loaf of burnt bread. "Here, take it..." he said. She had recognized him as the quiet boy in her class but today he was offering to save her.

"Thank you," she said as she grabbed the bread.

"Peeta, you better be feeding the pigs with that bread or I'll really give you something to cry about," his mother shouted from inside.

"You better go now before my mom sees you," Peeta said as he turned around.

She took off running and watched him go back inside from the bushes. To her the bread meant that her family would stay alive one more day. She vowed then and there that someday she would pay Peeta back for his act of kindness

She stared at him as he stood next to her and prayed that she never had to make the decision between her life and his, because she didn't know if she could kill him in order to stay alive.

XOXOXO

C: Composure

She tried her best to keep her composure as she said goodbye to her best friend Gale, her mother and her sister, but it was an impossible task. She broke down in tears as she held her family in her arms, realizing that she most likely would never see them again.

"Promise me that you'll survive," Prim whispered in her ear as she clung to her.

"I promise that I'll never stop fighting," Katniss stated as she kissed the top of her sister's head and wiped the tears from her eyes. She needed to be strong now, for her family and for everybody watching. She was a warrior and she would never let the Capitol see her cry.

She climbed on the train with Peeta by her side as they waved goodbye to the only home that they had ever known.

XOXOXO

D: Desperation

With every passing day that we prepared for the games, I grew more desperate. I told myself that killing a human would be no different then killing prey when I hunted, but I had a hard time convincing my heart of that fact.

The training was rigorous and my competition seemed determined to kill anybody who got in their way of survival, so why shouldn't I be the same? When it came down to it...would I kill if it meant I could survive for one more second?

At nights, my desperation to escape led me to the roof where I would often find Peeta looking at the Stars.

One night I found Peeta staring at the celebrating crowds of people below us.

"Can't sleep?" I asked.

"No...I don't want the games to change who I am," Peeta stated as he motioned to the crowds on the streets who were celebrating our impending demise.

"Do you think that we should just jump now and save them the trouble of killing us in the arena?" I joked.

"No...you're not going to die in the arena Katniss. There can only be one survivor and out of the two of us, my money's on you," Peeta stated as he stood up. "We have our interviews tomorrow, I better go and get my beauty rest," Peeta stated as he went back inside.

Desperation was a tricky thing and I couldn't help but wonder if it could lead to me killing Peeta if it meant that I could survive for one more second in the games. Could Peeta kill me? Could I kill him? I wasn't so sure, but it was likely that desperation would change all of us once the games began.

XOXOXO

E: Emotions

I sat on the sides of the room and listened to Peeta win over the crowd.

"So, is there a special lady that will be waiting for you at home?" Ceasar, the host, asked.

"No...not really."

"Oh, come on...I know that there's someone," Ceaser encouraged.

"Well, there is somebody, but it's not going to work out."

"Sure it will. Once you win the games then I am certain that you will capture her attention."

"You don't understand...she's going to be in the games with me," Peeta stated as he looked down at the ground.

The crowd went silent and I knew that Peeta had won them over. Was he just using his supposed crush on me to work the emotions of the crowd and earn him sponsors or did he really have feelings for me, and if he did, what was I going to do about it?The idea of killing Peeta was already unbearable and now it was so much worse.

"Katniss, I can explain," Peeta desperately stated as soon as we were alone on the elevator.

"You bastard, how could you pretend to have feelings for me just to evoke the emotions of the crowd," I stated as I slapped him.

"It wasn't like that...I really care about you," Peeta stated.

"Well don't...there can only be one winner," I stated as I walked off the elevator and headed to my room.

XOXOXO

*Fight/Flight*

Peeta and I hadn't really spoken to one another since our fight. I wanted to apologize to him, but what was the point. We would be in the arena soon and then I would have to find a way to kill him or die.

It was now the dreaded morning that we had been waiting for and we were about to enter the arena. "Katniss, I want you to listen to me. I don't want you to fight at the Copernica for stuff that you think you'll need to survive. I want you to run and hide somewhere that no one can find you. Promise me that you'll choose to Flight instead of Fight," Peeta pleaded with me as he pulled me into a tight hug.

He had no right to ask this of me and I wasn't sure what angle he was working. Did he really think that running was my best option of survival or did he want to deter me away from the things that he knew I would need to survive. "I'll think about what you said, but I can't make any promises," I whispered.

"That's all that I can ask for. Good luck Katniss...just remember that no matter how bad it gets in there, you're the one that I'm betting on," he whispered as he squeezed my hand and walked away.

We headed to our locations and we were transported to our Arena's. The clock ticked down as I contemplated my next move. Would I fight or would I flight like Peeta wanted me to?

XOXOXO

*Gash*

We were lifted up into the arena and I contemplated Peeta's advice as the timer counted down. When it reached zero there was a loud bang from the shotgun and I began to run.

I watched as Peeta ran towards the Copernica and I paused. Should I join them, but I knew if I went now I wouldn't get anything of value and the risk of dying would be too great.

I saw a sleeping bag that was close by so I ran for it as I saw a tribute from four come running as well. I grabbed the bag as I felt the slice of her knife against my shoulder.

I ran faster in the opposite direction with my bag in tote and headed for water. I found a little pond, where I cleaned out my gash and then climbed a tree. I tied myself in my sleeping bag high up in the tree and I waited for nightime as I wondered if Peeta was still alive.

XOXOXO

*Help*

I woke up to the sound of laughter. It didn't sound like it was a natural sound of happiness, instead it sounded desperate, forced somehow, by the other tributes that were trying their best to survive this place.

I looked below me and saw the other Tributes pointing and laughing at me.

"You think that tree is going to save you? It's not...lover boy helped us to find you and as soon as you come down here then you're as good as dead," Marvel, the tribute from one, taunted.

I looked around and saw that Peeta had become their ally. He kept his head down like he was ashamed. Was he just playing them as a means to keep his enemies close or had he been playing me by pretending to have feelings for me when he didn't? I didn't know who I could trust. The only thing that I knew was that I needed help.

"You're going to have to come down eventually to find food and when you do, we'll kill you," Marvel said.

I looked above me and I saw Rue, the twelve year old tribute from District 11. She pointed out a beehive that was filled with poisonous bees that was just to the side of me. She made a cutting motion with her hand and I knew what I had to do.

I pulled out my knife and cut off the beehive and watched it fall to the ground with a swarm of angry deadly bees flying about and attacking the other tributes.

I dropped to the ground as I got stung and began to run.

Marvel pulled out his knife and lunged at me, only somebody had stabbed him in the back first. I looked up and saw Peeta with the bloody knife in his hands.

"Run Katniss and don't look back," he pleaded with me as Glimmer stabbed him in the thigh with her knife.

I listened to Peeta's advice and I ran as far away from the violence as I could. My vision began to blur as the poison began to take it's affect and I collapsed into a stream of water.


	2. Chapter 2

*Infection*

I woke up feeling sore and hot. Everything was blurry and the air around me was filled with a pungent smell that made me want to throw up. I tried to sit up, then I realized that somebody had covered me with green leaves. What was it? Was it supposed to help me or hurt me somehow? I couldn't take the risk so I began to remove the leaves.

"Don't...you need them for your infection," Rue stated as she brought some more damp leaves and pressed them against my skin.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's an herbal plant that helps with infections. You were stung by a couple of bees and I managed to remove most of the poison, but you still have a fever. These leaves will take away your infection and your fever within a couple of hours."

"Why did you help me?" I asked.

"I saw what you did for your sister Prim. You sacrificed yourself for her and I couldn't let you die, besides you're a great hunter and I figured that we have a stronger chance of surviving if we stay together."

"That's a good idea. It's going to be night soon, we should get up high," I stated as I looked up at the trees surrounding us.

XOXOXO

*Joy*

Rue and I had strung my sleeping bag high up in the trees. She laid her head against my chest, trying her best to keep us both warm for another night.

The anthem played as the government displayed pictures of all of the tributes that had died that day. I watched picture after picture flash across the sky and then the anthem stopped playing.

Peeta was still alive and knowing that he had survived another day gave me the closest feeling to joy that was possible in this place. Yes, I felt joyful in the fact that Rue, Peeta and I had survived to see another day, but I was also terrified because I knew that my joy could not last for very long.

XOXOXO

*Kill*

"What are we going to do?" Rue asked as I looked across the valley with my binoculars and spotted the other tributes setting up camp.

"We have to kill their food source. Once we do that then we'll be on the same playing field and they will have to rely on themselves for survival," I stated.

"How are we going to do that?" Rue asked.

"I need you to stay behind and create a diversion to draw them as far away from their camp as possible and once I'm close enough, I will shoot an arrow at the nearby explosives that are in place and their food source will burn to nothing."

"How will we meet again?" Rue asked.

"I will sing the song of the birds that you taught me as soon as the explosion has been set off. When you reply then I'll know where to find you."

"Good luck Katniss. You're the best friend I've ever had so don't get yourself killed," Rue said as she embraced me and then took off to create her diversion.

Twenty minutes later I saw smoke in the sky and I saw the other tributes leave their camp in search of Rue. I headed off to their camp. When I was close enough, I shot my arrow into the bag of apples, which set them falling to the floor and into the explosives.

I ran as fast as I could as the explosives went off and destroyed their camp. I sang the song of the birds and I heard Rue's song in reply.I continued to hum the song as I followed the sound of Rue's voice.

I became afraid as her sweet song suddenly ended. I ran faster and faster, afraid of what I would find when I found her.

I turned the corner and I saw Rue trapped in a net. I ran towards her to help her out when the tribute from three came from the other end. I watched as he plunged his knife through the net right into Rue.

I ran at him and plunged my own knife into him. I continued to stab him until he fell to the ground and was dead.

"Don't leave me Rue," I pleaded as I held her in my arms and tried to keep the blood from flowing out of her.

"Promise me that you'll win," Rue stated.

"I'm going to win," I told her wanting to give her as much comfort as I could.

"Good," she said as she closed her eyes and her body stopped trembling as she died.

I knew that Rue's family was watching and I wanted them to know that she would be given the honor that she deserved before the Capital came for her body. I placed Rue's favorite flowers over her eyes as I sang the song of her district. I turned to the cameras and saluted her district and left just as the Capital's choppers descended.

"Goodbye Rue," I whispered as I saw her body being taken away by the very same government that was responsible for her death.


	3. Chapter 3

*Love*

After Rue's body had been taken away the host announced that this year there could be two winners as long as both tributes were from the same district. I was filled with hope knowing that I didn't have to kill Peeta.

I ran to find him, hoping that I could find him before somebody killed him. I ran through the mud and tripped over something...it was Peeta covered in mud.

"Peeta, did you hear? We can survive this together," I whispered.

"It may be a little too late for that, but Katniss I want you to know that my love for you has never been part of this game," he whispered as he closed his eyes.

"If you love me then you'll fight to survive," I said as I wiped the mud from his lips and kissed him.

When he opened his eyes, I helped him to his feet and we hiked up to a cave where we would have shelter from the rain that was falling from the heaven.

Peeta was cut bad and his skin felt like fire next to mine. He had an infection and I knew that he would never survive unless we got medicine.

XOXOXO

*Medicine*

Peeta shivered as I held him in my arms. His skin felt like fire next to mine and I knew that he would die soon if he didn't get the medicine from one of the sponsors.

"Please don't leave me here. I don't want to win without you," I pleaded as I kissed him.

I saw a basket floating into the cave and I prayed that the sponsors had taken pity on Peeta's situation. My hope faded as I looked in the basket and saw a can of soup with a note scribbled on it. I picked up the piece of paper and read "The antibiotic will be at the arena tonight at seven. Be prepared to fight for what you need."

"Is it the medicine?" Peeta asked.

"No, it's a can of soup, but I'm going to get your medicine at the arena tonight," I explained.

"You can't...they're setting up a trap, a blood bath. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you."

"I have to go, you'll die without that medicine," I countered.

"You're all I need. If you go then I'll just come after you, so you may as well just stay here with me."

"I won't go," I said as I opened the can of soup.

"Do you promise?" Peeta asked me.

"I promise," I lied as I stirred in some natural berries that worked as a sedative.

I fed him the soup and then held him in my arms. When he passed out I left to the arena so that I could get the medicine or die trying.


End file.
